OGSG SEEKS MORE AREAS OF PARTNERSHIP WITH IITA, OTHERS

•  1 Mar, 2024
•  09 : 06 am
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Towards attaining food sufficiency and production, the Ogun state government has sought for continued collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and other agricultural organisations, to engender more ideas that would shore up the agriculture sector in the state.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, stated this during his visit to the institute in Ibadan, explaining that the visit was to further synergise with IITA in capacity building for Agricultural Officers in the area of multiplication of cassava stems, adoption of modern technology, and using cassava feeds by livestock farmers among others, to boost agricultural production.

Hon. Owotomo, who added that the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun would support any programme aimed at enhancing the livelihood of farmers, saying IITA's wealth of experience as an international agricultural institute had yielded positive results in the sector.

Also, the Commissioner visited the newly resuscitated Fasola Agribusiness Hub in Iseyin, where he promised to build a strong and beneficial partnership that would facilitate more opportunities to the state, in terms of cross-fertilisation of ideas and farmers’ empowerment, among others.

Speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Samuel Adeogun, assured that knowledge garnered by the team led by the commissioner would be replicated in the state to improve farming practices, assuring more partnership to foster a closer relationship with IITA.

Remarking, the Chief Executive Officer, Business Incubation Platform, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dr. Debo Akande, who took the Commissioner and his entourage round the two facilities, pointed out that data collation would optimise quality of work and ensure effective delivery of government agenda on agriculture, commending the state for the strides taken to collaborate with the institute.

He stressed the need for government at all levels to harness opportunities in IITA, to ensure food sufficiency, with a focus on seed system and technical support for farmers to enhance productivity, assuring the state of its support at all times.